1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle using hydrogen absorbing alloys. More particularly, the present invention relates to a vehicle using hydrogen absorbing alloys for cooling and heating equipment,
2. Description of the Related Art
As conventional cooling and heating equipment used in a vehicle, the following have mainly been used: a compressor type operated by consuming energy from part of the engine driving section through a fan belt, etc. and using freon; an electric compressor type where a storage battery is charged and the electric power of the charged storage battery is consumed; and an external heating vapor compressor type, such as a Stirling engine, using external heat as a driving source. Conventionally, each component of the vehicle is mainly heated by means of resistance heating of an electric heater, and is rarely equipped with an independent simple cooling equipment.
The compressor type of cooling equipment has a pollution problem due to the use of specific freon (R12 for a car air conditioner, and R22 for a refrigerator). Demand for a portable refrigerator and/or freezer for a car such as a camper has been greatly increased due to the popularization of outdoor leisure. Additionally, the surface temperature of components, especially that of a steering wheel of the vehicle is increased, for example in summer. Therefore, demand is greatly increased for cooling equipment for cooling the air in the passenger compartment and/or each component of the vehicle as soon as possible after the vehicle is started. Furthermore, there is also a great demand for heating equipment for rapidly heating the air in the passenger compartment and/or each seat of the vehicle, for example in winter.
The compressor type cooling and heating equipment, using the engine driving section, inevitably load the engine and thus disadvantageously lower the efficiency of the engine, thereby worsening the efficiency of the fuel. Disadvantages of the electric compressor type ones using a storage battery are that the storage battery is exhausted earlier; and the cooling or heating power depends upon the electric capacity of the storage battery, so that the cooling or heating capacity is relatively lowered unless the storage battery has a large electric capacity.
The external heat vapor compressor type can advantageously utilize exhaust heat of the engine, but they disadvantageously have a high cost requiring a complicated manufacturing process so as to have a more precise and airtight structure since the pressure of the inside of the external combustion engine is up to several tens of atmospheres. In addition, conventional cooling and heating equipment is generally of vapor compressor type utilizing freon as a heating medium, which causes serious problems of noise and vibration, and destruction of ozone layers, contrary to the environmental protection movement.